About Author

Emily Shea

I'm on a quest with my family--a quest to travel the world. We've shed our former lives in the US to embark on a journey of adventure and discovery, unchained by a specific schedule. I have been known to be impatient, irrational, and slap-happy when it comes to future desires. To which I say, "Some things just cannot wait!" This path is leading us to see sights unimaginable, meet like-minded adventurers, and to learn that having these dreams is something to cherish and fight for. The wonders of this mysterious world are out there, and we cannot wait to see them for ourselves.

Granada is rumored to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Certainly, it is one of the loveliest places in Nicaragua, as it is home to many vibrantly painted homes of Spanish-colonial architecture. While many buildings are of similar structure, with enormous doors and high-vaulted ceilings, each are special in their own way. Each neighborhood, alley and block boasts its own little rainbow.

Our first house in Granada was identified as La casa blanca con las puertas rojas, which means, “The white house with red doors.”

Each charming home is uniquely hued, and many of its proud occupants leave the front doors wide open for those passing by to peek in. Every time I compliment someone on their exquisite home, I am rewarded with a hearty thanks.

We like to walk along the street and identify the colors in English and Spanish with our children. Our son loves green and blue shades (verde y azul) in particular.

A fun way to take in the color of the town is to catch a horse-drawn carriage ride. The rates are generally $8 for 30 minutes and $12 for an hour. This tour will take you to many of Granada’s historical sites and even to the lake, if you’d like.

Even the interiors of restaurants and other businesses have their own individual color palette.

This is a town where all casas are identified by their coloration. The community center is widely known, but I call it (quite intellectually), “The big sunshine yellow building at the park.”

Walking tours around town can be arranged to go inside some of these great colonial structures. I saw this sign up in a café recently. Anyone care to join me?

For now, we are wandering the streets of Granada, enjoying the “rainbowed” canvas on every turn. It is only a temporary home for us, but it is indeed a beautiful one!

4 Comments

I was in Granada for Christmas in 2011 and Plan to go again this year. It is stunning! I love it’s charm and all the beautifully coloured buildings. Coming back home, everything looked so bland! I want to paint my house bright blue. I wonder if my neighbours will mind? LOL!

I remember having a HOA tell me I couldn’t paint my window shutters anything other than ugly brown or dark green. Not cool. I hope you can paint your house any color you want, Jennifer! Bright blue sounds awesome. =)

A beautiful post, Emily! Love the photo of your horse-drawn carriage ride. I bet, it is the most beautiful time of the year in Granada. I was in Santiago de Chile during Semana Santa last year. Loved the experience!